Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

Wen Yu had never experienced these things before, and at this moment, her eyes reddened, and she gripped the bed sheet beneath her even tighter.

Shen Yu's wet hair fell down his forehead as he stared intently at Wen Yu, sensing their seemingly different but actually identical body temperatures.

Shen Yu knew all of his sensitive and vulnerable areas—and could easily control them.

"Wen Yu, take off your mask." Shen Yu pressed Wen Yu's body closer, covering half of the golden mask with his palm, and whispered, "Let me watch you."

Wen Yu's eyes welled up with tears, and his fingers curled up upon hearing this, causing Shen Yu's expression to change slightly.

"Fine, look if you want." Wen Yu's eyes were filled with a variety of emotions. He stared at Shen Yu for a moment, then reached out and took off the mask from his face.

It's so heavy, wearing it would be a burden.

After taking it off, Wen Yu deliberately turned his face away, keeping an eye on Shen Yu's expression out of the corner of his eye, as if trying to discern some different emotions from Shen Yu's face.

Most people who saw half of his face were shocked and frightened. Wen Yu still remembered Shen Yu's expression when he first saw his whole face, which was one of surprise.

Now that he sees Wen Yu in full again, I wonder what he will think.

Shen Yu sighed. As if he knew what Wen Yu was thinking, he cupped his palm and gently covered half of Wen Yu's cheek, trying to soothe the wounds and unease with his warmth.

"Your Majesty, look at me." Shen Yu kissed his scar, and he leaned close to Wen Yu. When Wen Yu turned to look at him, his eyes crinkled into a smile. "You are so handsome."

Wen Yu's pupils trembled. Shen Yu's appearance was almost exactly the same as his, yet he was inexplicably colder and harder than him. He pressed his skin against Wen Yu's, sharing the warmth with him.

"They just tell lies."

Wen Yu nibbled on Shen Yu's earlobe. The soreness in his heart, mixed with a hidden tenderness, finally began to ease.

But he still seemed to enjoy listening to it.

"Your Majesty, I'm telling the truth. No one is as beautiful as you," Shen Yu said softly. "You're the best."

A rare gentleness appeared in Wen Yu's eyes. He curled his toes and hugged Shen Yu's body even tighter.

Shen Yu looked down at Wen Yu. This person, who was almost exactly like him, who had suffered the same hardships as him, this... person named himself.

He will also be the one to love her.

Shen Yu and Wen Yu's lips and teeth intertwined, their tongues swirling together in a chaotic kiss, ultimately leaving behind a mouthful of bloody taste.

Wen Yu's eyes reddened. He sensed Shen Yu's increasingly out-of-control movements and turned his face to the side so that Shen Yu could slowly rub the unevenness on the right side of his face with his palm.

How pathetic must a person be to admit that they are the only one in the world who truly loves themselves?

Shen Yu once loathed his past. Back then, he was ignorant, foolish, and unable to judge people, so he easily trusted Xuan Lin, which ultimately led to his utter defeat and his own demise.

How could he accept Wen Yu? Wen Yu's present was his most unbearable past.

But when Shen Yu looks back at his past self now, he still feels helpless and heartbroken.

The seven years he struggled in the Kunning Palace, the seven years he was isolated and helpless, were also the seven years when he was most unrecognizable.

He watched himself sink deeper into the mire, yet keep climbing out; he fell into hell, yet climbed back up with his bare hands. He failed time and time again, started over again and again, his face covered in wounds, yet he still kept moving forward.

So... he once tried so hard to live.

Shen Yu frowned, then embraced Wen Yu, finally giving himself a genuine hug after many years.

Wen Yu... How could I bear to make you sad?

You are me—you are the me who endured hardships and torment all those years.

How can I give you up?

Even if the world doesn't love you, I will always love you.